Green With Envy? Don't let the green-eyed monster capsize your team. Use these techniques to bring a sales superstar onboard without rocking the boat.

If your sales are greatly in need of an elixir, some sort ofpick-me-up to boost production, one way to ramp up sales is to hirea rainmaker-a seasoned sales pro who has multiple connections andyears of experience in your industry. Scottie Oliver, co-founder ofsales consulting firm EA Group in Alpharetta, Georgia, believes that atleast 20 percent of a sales manager's time should be dedicatedto hiring and integrating sales superstars into anorganization.

Bringing in a superstar creates unique management concerns,though, and you'll do well to take a few pointers from theexperts:

• Engage the team in the selection process. Pick one ortwo reps to be part of the selection and interview process.According to Gerry Murak, a turnaround performance specialist andfounder of Murak& Associates in Williamsville, New York, assembling across-functional team has many benefits. Murak says that involvingteam members in hiring raises the performance bar for the entireteam and removes the confrontational aspect of the assimilationphase. Murak adds that, during team interviews, "positivechemistry becomes readily apparent, as does an 'oil andwater' scenario." Having worked with such clients as Ford,General Mills, and GM, Murak warns that hiring a stellar sellerusing a top-down management strategy is "tantamount tothrowing a live grenade in the middle of the team."

• Prepare for the care and feeding of a ringer. Whensomeone has a fabulous sales track record, a certain amount ofbragging is to be expected. But large egos can unleash havoc in ateam, and sales superstars may be hard to manage. As Harry Mills,author of The Rainmaker's Toolkit: Power Strategies forFinding, Keeping and Growing Profitable Clients, explains,genuine superstars have a right to be treated differently. SaysMills, "A true expert should be given free rein wheneverpossible."

Oliver warns that "some superstars feel they can make theirown rules," and he encourages BIZ Experiencess to establishexpectations for the rep-such as pipeline/forecast reporting andconference call participation-prior to hiring.

• Work on that team fit. Ray Silverstein cautions that, nomatter how impressive he or she is, the new salesperson will"destroy the culture" if he or she doesn't fit intothe team. Silverstein, whose Chicago-based President's ResourceOrganization creates and facilitates advisory boards for smallbusinesses, adds, "The overall rule is to hire people who fitinto the company's belief system."

• Avoid the superstar label. Your staff may already be abit jaded about the new guy, so avoid any fawning. Murak points outthat if the new rep is truly a superstar, his results will beobvious-no extra gushing from the sales manager is required. Millssays to keep the introduction low-key and welcome the new rep inexactly the same way as other new staff members. "Bematter-of-fact when talking about the sales star's previousaccomplishments, and don't use the word 'star,'"adds Mills.

• Use the rainmaker to build a stronger team. Since salesreps thrive on competition, having an übercloser in the nextcubicle can be a great motivator. Make it a condition of the newrep's employment that he or she will counsel other teammembers. Oliver, who encourages sales managers to align the newhire with a "diamond in the making" rep, explains thatthe benefits are twofold: "The superstar learns the companyropes quickly, and the up-and-comer gleans expertise from a provenperformer."

Kimberly L. McCall ("Marketing Angel") is presidentof McCallMedia & Marketing Inc. and author of Sell It, Baby! Marketing Angel's 37Down-to-Earth & Practical How-To's on Marketing, Branding& Sales.